Second Star to the Right
by Livily
Summary: Perhaps Wardrobes are not the only way to reach a magical land. Perhaps there are other ways. Lucy remembers Peter Pan and the story of Neverland.
1. Make Believe

**Randomly inspired… really I don't know why. I guess I always loved Peter Pan as a kid and always thought he was going to whisk me away to Neverland sometime soon. Also, Neverland and Narnia have always seemed rather connected to me. **

Crouching behind the bushes, a young, dark haired boy grinned excitedly. In his right hand he clutched a metal hanger, while his left hand was closed tightly around a long stick. He bit back a laugh as he watched his younger sister dance circles around the elder two.

"Come on! Come on!" She exclaimed as she tugged on her brother and sister's hands. "Let's go! We have to find him so we can _beat_ him!" She emphasized this comment with a kick of her foot, blonde curls bobbing in the sunlight.

The older boy, also blonde, laughed. "We can't fight him without a proper war strategy, Lu--I mean Michael." He quickly corrected himself when the little girl began to pout.

The other girl frowned slightly. "I thought you were the fairy."  
Giving her sister a pointed look, the youngest huffed. "I _was, _but Tinker Bell can't fight in a battle, Susan. She's too little."

Susan arched an eyebrow at her six-year-old sister. "But you're not a boy, Lucy. And you can't keep changing your character. That makes it too confusing. How are we supposed to keep up with you?"

Lucy smiled vibrantly. "It's easy, Susan! When I skip I'm the fairy, and when I've got my bear I'm Michael. And then you're Wendy and Peter's Peter." She giggled here. "Isn't that funny? Peter's Peter?"

Susan puckered her lips briefly, not finding the joke quite so funny. "I _suppose_ you can be both. But next time we play you've got to choose one!" Lucy giggled delightedly, skipping off to find her discarded bear.

When Lucy returned she had a mischievous smile on her face. "You really shouldn't pucker your lips like that, Susan. That doesn't look very Wendyish at all."

Susan ignored the impulse to roll her eyes, and instead looked toward Peter. "Have you any idea where Edmund is?"

The older boy craned his neck, scanning the area in search of their younger brother. "I haven't seen him since Lucy was the Crocodile and chased him away."

"He went that way!" Lucy pointed toward the bush, blond curls flying as she raced across the yard. A rustle in the bush caught her eye, and she shrieked, engulfing herself in the game again. "I know you're in there!" She cried in a melodic voice, plunging a hand into the bushes and snatching a handful of dark hair.

"OW!" The boy cried, swinging his hanger toward his youngest sister. "Lucy what was that for?"

Edmund got to his feet, rubbing his head where Lucy had grabbed his hair. She gave him an annoyed look.

"Why do I have to keep telling everyone? My name's not Lucy! I'm Michael, remember?"

He picked up his stick. "How was I supposed to know we were playing again? You lot have been talking about characters for the past five minutes!"

Lucy stuck her tongue out at him. "Come on! Let's play! I want to play the part where Peter and Wendy fight Captain Hook. That's the part Mum read to me last night before bed! That way we can play the next part tomorrow."

Peter and Susan exchanged amused glances at Lucy's 'logic.' Edmund frowned.

"I thought you said we could play dragons tomorrow." He fiddled with the hanger, a petulant look on his face.

Lucy gave Edmund an incredulous look. "We can't just stop playing and leave it, Edmund! What would happen to Peter and Wendy? And Tinker Bell? We'll play dragons _after_ Mum and I finish reading."

"I could just tell you what happens so we could finish it today. Hook is eat--," Edmund was cut off by a screech from his younger sister.  
"Edmund! I don't want to know what happens _yet!_ You'll spoil it for me!" She frowned at him. "Just because Mum read it to you when you were six doesn't mean you have to go and ruin it for me."

"It's only a story, Lu." Edmund tossed her his hanger. "Look, only a hanger. Not a real hook."

She looked up where the pale crescent of the moon that lingered in the daytime sky. "Of course they're real, Ed. Didn't Mum ever show you Neverland? Second star to the right and straight on until morning." Lucy looked to Susan and Peter for support. "Right?"

Peter glanced between his siblings before giving an indulgent shrug. "That's what Mum always told me." Fearing a bout of teasing from Edmund, Peter changed the subject. "Shall we continue our game, then?"

The other three seemed inclined to do so, and Edmund hastily picked up his hook and stick, facing Peter as the elder boy pulled out a stick of his own.

"Catch me if you can!" Peter cried, sprinting across the yard with his arms on either side of him. "You'll never be able to fly like me, you old codfish!"

Susan took off behind her brothers, stopping once to beckon Lucy to follow.

"Michael! Come on!"

Lucy glared at her sister as she skipped behind her. "Susan, I'm Tinker Bell!"

**AN: I hope that there aren't too many grammatical mistakes in here. I wrote in like thirty minutes and then just decided to post it up. I think I'm going to make this a three-shot sort of thing. Pre-Narnia, During, and Post-Narnia. Not sure yet. I'm actually thinking of doing a series sort of thing where I integrate other works of literature into the Narnian series. It sort of depends on my attention span, though. **

**I hope this is okay, and not too cliché, although I know it is. Anyhow, comments are always welcome.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it. **


	2. Do You Remember?

**Chapter two takes place during the Golden Age. I've actually changed how I think I'm going to do this. I'm going to do a chapter on the **_**Dawn Treader **_**for sure, and possibly a chapter during **_**Caspian **_**but I'm not positive yet. There will for sure be a post-Narnia chapter, though. So, I don't own any of this, and hope that you enjoy it. **

Lucy sat up stiffly, propping herself on her elbows, eyes adjusting to the darkness surrounding her. The stars above her gleamed in the sky, and she adjusted the pillow beneath her feet. She and her siblings were sprawled on a blanket on the balcony of one of Cair's eastern towers. She could hear the pulse of the sea below, and white moonlight illuminated her siblings' sleeping faces.

They had been up here for picnic-sort of dinner, and it was the first time in nearly a month that all four had been home with time to spare. Lucy must have dozed off during her brothers' lengthy mocking of Susan's latest suitor, and the other three likely followed suit soon after. The castle was peacefully silent, and Lucy heard the lilting sound of music in the distance. A sleepy smile spread across her lips as she thought of the countless festivals and parties that occurred during a Narnian summer.

The seventeen-year-old queen bit back a snicker as Peter let out a snore that was soon followed by an incoherent comment—likely a scolding—from Susan. The usually elegant queen's dress was bunched around her legs, and Lucy couldn't help but smile amusedly at Susan's foreseeable reaction to the wrinkles, or her dismay at her uncharacteristically tangled hair.

Lucy's gaze turned to Edmund, whose arm was splayed heavily across her stomach. She giggled, gently removing his arm as he let out a grumble. Lucy rested her head on her hand, watching him as he groggily stirred, eyes fluttering open.

"Lucy?"

The younger girl put a finger to her lips and jerked her head toward the elder two. "Shh… Ed, they're sleeping."

He cocked a tired grin as he propped his own head on his hand, eyes darting to their disheveled siblings. "Wonder what those ambassadors would think if they could see our lovely sister right now."

Susan mumbled something, and Lucy shot her brother a wry smile. "They'd probably say that Susan looked 'utterly serene—the exact embodiment of gentleness.'"

Edmund snorted, but said nothing, and the younger two watched their older brother and sister in silence.

After a moment, Lucy inched toward him, laying her head on his shoulder. "It's good to have you home, Edmund," she told her brother softly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

He smiled, scanning the beach below. "I'm glad to be back."

Lucy smiled, though Edmund could not see it in the dark. "The moon is so bright tonight."

Edmund chuckled slightly, "Aye, it is. Oddly enough, I was staring at the same moon only a night ago, wishing to be home."

"And now you are!" Lucy giggled, shivering slightly as a breeze ruffled her hair. Edmund rubbed her arm slightly, and both Pevensies stared up at the stars littering the night sky. After a moment, Edmund spoke.

"Do you remember that story, Lu?" He asked her, trying to remember for himself. "The one about the boy who never grew up?"

A memory surfaced in Lucy's mind as she recalled her favorite story as a British school girl. She furrowed her brow, toying with the fringe on her dress.

"_Peter Pan_, wasn't it? Mum…" here she cast Edmund a delighted look as the image of their mother returned. "Mum used to read it to us. 'Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning' is what she always used to tell me." Lucy glanced up at the glistening stars, pulling away from Edmund so she could face him. "You know, I used to always want to go to Neverland and live with Peter. Just like Wendy."

Lucy gave a surprised laugh as the memories rushed back, and Edmund offered her a grin. "And instead you got Narnia."

Lucy nodded in delighted consent. "Yes, I found Narnia instead." She was silent for a moment before continuing. "You know, I hadn't thought of Peter Pan since… since the morning after Aslan's death." She said it hesitantly, feeling her brother tense beside her. "I… I remember that morning when Susan and I were sitting at the Stone Table… we were so cold…" She trailed off, grasping at the painful memory. "They sky in the east was whitish and the stars were getting fainter—except for one very big one that was low on the eastern horizon…" She paused, cupping her head as she gazed at the big, Narnian stars.

"I remember wondering if that was Neverland and if all adventures were like this; if all adventures were so s_ad. _I remember thinking about you and Peter going into battle and wondered if Wendy was ever scared for Michael and John… and I wondered if Peter Pan ever lost someone he really loved." A tear ran down Lucy's cheek, and she swatted it away as the memories of England and Aslan's death overwhelmed her.

Edmund grasped her hand in his larger one, squeezing it comfortingly. "Peter Pan never had a mum, Lucy." He said it softly, trying to comfort his sister.

She smiled at him bitterly. "Like us." She whispered it, refusing to meet Edmund's gaze, for she knew she was being silly.

Edmund told her so. "Lucy, hush. We _do _have a mum, and someday we'll see her again. I'm sure of it. Until then we've got Susan and Peter." He tugged her hair gently. "And you've got me, Lu. You've got all three of us."

Lucy gave a watery laugh, not yet relinquishing her brother's hand as she watched the stars shining brilliantly. "And we've got Aslan."

Relieved that Lucy was perking up, Edmund grinned at her, giving her curl a harder tug. She frowned at him, and continued speaking. "I never thought about Neverland after that morning. When Aslan came back and we were crowned I was too happy to ever want to go to another world. Even Neverland."

Edmund shrugged haphazardly. "You wouldn't be a queen there, Lu. And you'd never get older than ten."

Lucy wrinkled her nose. "Growing up's not as horrible as the Lost Boys would like you to think. It's actually rather nice, especially since people don't look so shocked when they find out Peter's _High King _ over a whole country, though I still get that 'look' sometimes."

Edmund tweaked her nose. "Don't worry about what anyone says, Lucy. The people of Narnia love you. You're a wonderful queen."

Laughing, Lucy finally let go of her brother's hand. "Of course I am! You're rather lucky you didn't get stuck in Neverland, Ed. You're much more handsome now—certainly less scrawny and much more mature." She winked at her brother and squirmed away from him as he reached to tickle her. Peter emitted another snore, and Lucy and Edmund exchanged amused glances, biting back sniggers.

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you, Ed. You're rather loud yourself."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "And do you think you're so pleasant to sleep with? A horrendous blanket hog if I ever met one." He tugged the wad of blanket away from her, and she stuck out her tongue. Edmund's grin only widened. "I don't suppose you ever did grow up. Surely no one could tell by your actions!"

Lucy huffed indignantly. "Nobody asked you for your opinion, _Your Majesty_."

"I'm deeply sorry that you're wounded by my statement, milady," the court speech flowed elegantly from Edmund's mouth. "Unfortunately, as a Knight of Aslan, I am obliged to speak the truth. Even to my royal sister who has an easily injured ego."

Lucy scoffed at him, whacking him with a pillow.

"Ow!" He cried, rubbing his arm.

She flashed him a charming smile. "My ego may be easily wounded, but at least I'm not soft as a pansy."

Edmund blushed, and though Lucy couldn't see it, she could tell by the way his voice got lower and whiny. "I… I've got a bruise there, Lucy! Got a vicious hit during the tournament—"

Lucy cut him off, mirth laced through her voice. "_I _heard that you fell of your horse in the middle of the practice!"

Edmund glared at her, clapping his hand over her mouth as a loud groan came from Susan. The younger two looked at each other, previous argument forgotten as Susan mumbled a reprimand.

"C'you two get along? Some of us are sleepin'." Susan rolled over, her black hair covering her face as her siblings again fought a bout of laughter.

"Annoying even in her sleep, isn't she?" Edmund asked laughingly as he settled back onto the blanket.

Lucy sighed, lying down beside him. "Oh, Su will always be annoying. But you know, she missed you. They both did." She exchanged an amused glance with her brother. "They're both scaredy-cats, afraid to show emotion in public and all. But I can tell they did. I know_ I_ certainly did." She leaned over, pecking Edmund on the cheek, not at all surprised when he shied away.

They were both quiet for several moments, and Lucy yawned happily.

"Look, Lu," Edmund said softly, breaking the silence. He pointed at a pair of stars that were particularly bright. "Second star to the right…"

"And straight on until morning," Lucy finished for him.

"Perhaps Tinker Bell and Peter are having adventures right now?"

Lucy shrugged nonchalantly. "Anything's possible. After all, we're here." She gestured around them, trying to blink the sleep out of her eyes. "I think, though, I've had quite enough adventures here in Narnia. I don't think I'd fancy going to Neverland right now. Maybe someday." She nestled into the crook of his arm, eyes drooping.

"_I'd _much rather be here. I'll bet the food's much better here." Edmund stated it as a joke, but felt the words ring true.

"Me too, Edmund." Lucy felt her eyes droop as she nodded in agreement. "Me too."

Moonlight streamed down onto the younger Pevensies as they joined their siblings in slumber, and high in the sky, a great cloud covered two stars.

**So, did anyone catch the quote that's straight out of **_**The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe? **_**It has to do with stars… :D Anyways, thanks very much for reading, and all reviews are appreciated. **


	3. Nostalgia

_AN: Prince Caspian comes out in THREE days! I absolutely cannot wait, and the imminent release prompted me to write this chapter. It's not the best, but I wanted to get it out before this fandom was swamped with Prince Caspian stories and before I saw the movie and it influenced my take on the story. These two Narnian scenes are the most memorable for me from the book, and I absolutely love the nostalgia present in Prince Caspian. So here's this chapter._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or Neverland, and several of the lines in here ARE from the book, Prince Caspian. _

**Chapter Three: Nostalgia **

Lucy closed her book, smiling delightedly.

"I've finished it." She set her book in her lap and stretched her arms.

Peter offered her a small smile. "What is that, Lu, your hundredth time?"

The youngest of the four laughed, ignoring her brother's teasing. "Only the fifth, Peter. You forget I hadn't read it in ages, and then we had a whole different perspective on things!"

Edmund adjusted his cap and tugged one of Lucy's braids, something she had grown accustomed to over the years. "Oh, admit it, Lucy, Neverland reminds you of Narnia. That's why you've read it so many times."

Susan held a finger to her lips as a couple passed by, arms laden with bags. She glanced around the nearly empty train station before giving her brother a reproachful look. "You've got to be careful what you say in public, Ed. They'd count us as mad if they heard us talking about… you know."

Edmund smirked at his elder sister. "No, I really don't know, Susan. Why would they think we were mad?"

Susan's eyes quickly surveyed the station and she lowered her voice. "You know well what I'm talking about _King _Edmund."

Edmund laughed, steepling his fingers as he raised an eyebrow at Susan. "Aah, yes. I understand now. I'll be sure to be more careful next time, _Your Majesty_."

Susan rolled her eyes, and the other two laughed. "I'm being serious! Honestly, I get no respect anymore…" Susan's mumblings trailed off as her siblings burst into another round of laughter, and she couldn't help but smile wistfully. This would be the last time the four of them would be together for a long time.

"I _do _wish we could go back." While Lucy's eyes still sparkled merrily, yet her brothers and sister did not miss the longing disguised in her voice. "It's been such a long time, and I do worry about how their getting on without us."

Peter squeezed her shoulder. "We all do, Lucy. We all want to go back. A year has never felt longer."

Lucy sighed, feeling very much like Wendy did when she became too old for Neverland. Only Lucy hadn't outgrown Narnia; if anything she was much too old for _England_.

A sudden pull on her braids made Lucy jump, and she shrieked, gripping her head as pain seared through her scalp. Sharp cries from her brothers and sister soon followed, and Lucy felt the sense of adventure billow in her chest.

"All catch hands and keep together." Edmund gripped her hand tightly, and despite the pain, Lucy couldn't help but grin at her brother's next words. "This is magic—I can tell by the feeling of it." His words were confirmed as the station dissolved, and they found themselves in a wood.

Exchanging a delighted look with her sister, Lucy craned her neck, and felt her smile widen as she recognized the familiar sound of waves crashing against the shore.

"Oh, Peter," exclaimed Lucy. "Do you think we can possibly have got back to Narnia?"

Later that evening, after an exhaustingly delightful day, Lucy found herself sitting in front of a fire, surveying the four piles of rubble that had once been the Four Thrones of Cair Paravel. She bit into an apple, smiling as she recalled the day she and Susan had helped the moles plant the very trees that had provided the evening's meal.

She still found it hard to believe that they had managed to get back to Narnia. It seemed so long ago that they were sitting in a London train station, wishing to be back. Although it was devastating to find all of their friends gone and their home in ruin, Lucy was simply delighted to be home. The youngest queen (for that is how Lucy felt now) had a theory regarding their return, and she knew that Aslan had something to do with this wondrous homecoming. How she hoped to see the great Lion again!

She grinned as the ring of metal echoed across the dais. In the flickering firelight she could see her brothers practicing with their old swords, and she giggled as she thought of what their Mum would say. She had been appalled to find them practicing with sticks from the neighbor's yard.

Susan returned with an armful of firewood, and Lucy was pleased to find her sister had changed into one of the gowns they had found in the treasure chamber. Fingering her own dress, 

Lucy couldn't help but sigh in contentment. Years may have passed, but they were in Narnia. _Narnia. _Susan slid down the wall to sit beside her sister, and the girls watched their brothers for a short period before Susan turned to Lucy.

"I can't believe we're back."

Lucy nodded, taking another bite of her apple. "I just wish we knew what happened here. Everything is so different." She swallowed the mouthful, wiping her mouth on her sleeve, and Susan frowned at her.

"Honestly, dear, you're in one of your old gowns. A gown fit for a queen! Must you wipe your mouth on the sleeve?" Despite the reprimand, Susan's eyes sparkled like the stars above them.

Lucy giggled. "This dress has seen much worse, Su. If I remember correctly, this is the same dress that Edmund so gracefully spilled wine on. The dryads were wonderful, though. You can hardly tell!"

The sisters were silent again as little memories surfaced around them. Lucy could almost see the Grand Hall as it was before--with their friends chattering around them, and the wonderful smells wafting up from the kitchen… but at least they were back.

Edmund and Peter stopped their sparring several moments later, taking their places on either side of their sisters. The ruined castle loomed around them, illuminated by the moonlight as the wind ruffled the leaves of the overgrown orchard. The fire began to dwindle, and Lucy adjusted her body in an attempt to find a more comfortable position. Edmund flicked on his electric torch, and the siblings grinned as the soft firelight mixed with the artificial light from England.

"I'd love one of those squished sandwiches right about now." Edmund said, frowning at the apple Lucy offered him.

Susan laughed, flicking his shoulder. "Do you ever think about anything besides food, Edmund?"

The younger boy pretended to ponder it for a moment before shaking his head. "Food is important to any growing boy, Susan. Especially one that will grow to be as handsome as I."

Lucy giggled. "I think that your memory of your grown-up self is rather off, Edmund. If I recall, Peter was the Magnificent one."

Edmund shone his light in Lucy's face, causing her to scrunch her eyes shut. "Well, at least I've got the brains." He dodged Peter's swing, jumping up onto Lucy's toe as he did so.

"Edmund!" Lucy cried, indignantly, clutching at her toe. "Be a little more careful. My poor toes have endured enough after years of dancing with you!"

The older two laughed, and Edmund settled back down. A bird screeched in the distance, and Lucy jumped, scooting closer to Susan. The large Narnian stars dotted the sky, and Lucy tugged Peter's arm, pointing to one of the familiar constellations they had learned about so many years ago.

"Do you remember all of them?"

Peter raised an eyebrow, "I thought we were done with school for now, Lucy. I wasn't expecting an astronomy lesson."

Lucy gasped, swatting Peter's arm. "You don't remember them, do you?"

Peter was silent for a moment, before shaking his head. "Sorry, Lu. I was never interested in the stars like you were. I much preferred dealing with the things happening on the ground."

Lucy sighed, as her eyes skillfully surveyed the dark sky. Silence stretched across the dais—and Lucy couldn't help but frown. Cair had never been quiet. Even in the night all of the nocturnal creatures had been going about their 'days.' Now, though, silence reigned.

Suddenly, though, Lucy started. "Oh my!"

Both of her brothers straightened, and Lucy was comforted by the familiar sight of their hands resting on the hilts of their swords. "What's wrong, Lu?" Peter asked worriedly.

She laughed, eyes darting toward the treasure chamber's door. "Oh, it's nothing, really, Peter. I've just remembered that I left _Peter Pan _in the treasure chamber. Honestly, I was just surprised."

Edmund again shone the light in her face, and she glared at him. "D'you want me to go with you to get it, Lu?"

She leaned back into the wall. "No, it's all right, Edmund. I can get it in the morning. Thank-you, though."

Her brothers exchanged looks, and Lucy rested her head on Susan's shoulder, breathing in the clear Narnian air. She grinned and sighed contentedly. "Goodnight, my Lords, my Lady… and welcome back."

Only a night later, Lucy found herself staring at the Narnian constellations again, though this time she was lying flat on her back gazing up at the stars through a canopy of trees. She 

grinned as she recognized the Ship, the Hammer, and the Leopard, feeling a thrill of memory course through her as she remembered the late nights dancing under the stars.

As the memory surfaced, she realized she had a sudden urge to do so again: to frolic with the long-asleep trees. Checking to ensure that her siblings and Trumpkin were sound asleep, she quickly stood, moving away from their small camp.

The moonlight seemed to create a path for her, and she followed it through the forest of sleeping trees. Lucy spun around, eyes drifting shut as she imagined the trees around her joining in. The moonlight illuminated each tree, and Lucy could see them as if they were talking and moving. She danced among them, weaving in and out to an imaginary tune, smiling as the soft silk of her dress swished around her ankles.

"I'm home," she whispered to the trees, hugging one tightly. "We're back in Narnia."

The trees swayed in the wind, and Lucy stared up at one, feeling the sudden urge to cry.

"Please, please, wake up?" The tree stilled, and Lucy frowned, slumping to the ground. "If only things could go back to how they were. I do wish we could see Aslan again."

A great wind stirred the trees, and Lucy felt a strength returning to her and with it the sleep she had not been able to find earlier. Bidding the trees goodbye, the young queen stumbled back to her family, eyes returning to the great, Narnian stars.

As she laid there, her mind returned to a conversation she had had with Edmund long ago. They had discussed…that story. The one that was her favorite back in that other place. Lucy frowned, realizing she had left the book in Cair's treasure chamber. "Bother," she mumbled to herself. "I do wish I had remembered this morning." A loud snore from Trumpkin brought a smile to her face, and she found herself feeling rather indifferent toward… toward… that story.

After all, the characters in that story had never returned to their beloved land. But Lucy, Lucy was in Narnia. She did not need fictional tales; not in a land where she ruled as queen and slept under the stars. She especially did not need such a story in the land in which Aslan reigned. Lucy sighed, feeling anticipation bubble within her as her eyes drifted shut. Aslan was coming. He would be there soon.

_As I said before, I'm really not pleased with this chapter, and will probably go back and change it sometime in the future, but for now, this is it. I guess the point I was trying to make is that novels and Peter Pan in particular, offer Lucy a sense of Narnia in England. And then when she's back they don't seem so important. The last chapter was sort of about them remembering England, and this one is the opposite, Lucy's nostalgia for the old Narnia. It was bleh, I know. _

_Still, your thoughts matter. _

_And go see Prince Caspian!_


	4. When the Time Comes

**So **_**Prince Caspian **_**was an awesome movie, no doubt. Obviously there were some small annoyances, but I'll get over them. The most important thing to note about this chapter is it's very strictly book-based. There was no Susan/Caspian thing. There ARE though implications of something between Caspian and Lucy. I always thought that there was something when they're on the **_**Dawn Treader.**_** This is my longest chapter yet (8 Pages!) and closely coincides with VDT, and to be specific, the chapters "The Three Sleepers" and the "Beginning of the End of the World." I'm actually rather fond of this chapter, so enjoy. **

**Here's a list of songs from the PC Soundtrack I listened to while writing, and they seemed to fit almost perfectly at times. **

**The Kings and Queens of Old**

**The Door in the Air**

**The Call**

**Chapter Four: When the Time Comes**

Lucy cast a glance behind her shoulder as she quietly moved away from Ramandu's table. Caspian had dismissed the crew for a half hour's time, and Lucy desperately wanted to get away from everyone and think.

Being on a ship with one's brother, friends, and cousin (especially after he's been a reformed dragon) is a lovely experience, but Lucy felt as if she hadn't been alone in ages. Checking one last time to assure that no one would miss her, she slipped away to the beach and the welcoming ocean.

Kicking off her shoes, she waded into the sea, hiking up her skirts in a way that would positively appall her elder sister. Thinking of Susan caused a sharp pain to shoot through Lucy, but she hastily pushed it aside. She had important matters to mull over.

As the too-large sun beat down on her golden head, Lucy considered the fact that they were nearing the end of their voyage. They had finally discovered the fate of the seven Lords of Narnia, and Ramandu had said that this island was "the beginning of the end of the world." Anticipation bubbled within her as she recalled Reepicheep's hope that they would find Aslan's Country.

She desperately hoped this was true, but for one of the first times in Lucy's life, she doubted. Lucy frowned, hating the feeling. She _wanted _to believe that they were sailing toward something bigger than the whole world, but beneath the excitement of the adventure, Lucy felt as if all things were coming to an end. And she did not like it one bit.

She fingered her knotted hair as she continued her walk down the shore. Lucy was afraid, and she knew she shouldn't be. She was afraid that Aslan was going to send her home for the last time, and Lucy knew she wasn't ready to completely part with Narnia. She couldn't. She had discovered this land and been Narnia's Heart during the Golden Age. She was Queen Lucy the Valiant.

A bitter smile tugged on her lips. To be technical, it had only been three years since she had ruled Narnia with her siblings, yet here it had been hundreds. To Lucy, it felt like the latter.

Her eyes strayed to the silhouette of the _Dawn Treader _in the distance, and she thought of her adventures with Edmund, Eustace, Reepicheep, and Caspian. _Caspian_. The name resonated in her mind, and Lucy wrung her hands unhappily. She had thought there was… well… something there. He seemed to understand her when even Edmund did not, and she had thought he had felt something too. Now she wasn't so sure.

Lucy was not ignorant to his reception of the Star's Daughter. She had noticed his reference to the fairy tales of her world—his mention of the prince kissing the princess. _She _had been the one to tell him those fairy tales. It was Lucy who even gave him such an idea, and yet she couldn't find it in her to be jealous. Instead, a dull sadness attempted to overcome the joy of the past months. Their time on the ship had been lovely. She and Edmund had learned new Narnian songs, while teaching the crew the old ones. They had spent nights under the stars, watching in wonder as the stars progressively became larger and brighter as their journey brought them closer to the world's end.

She looked up at the day sky. Now she knew why they were so different. They were living _beings. _And who could blame Caspian for being enchanted by a Star. Aslan's mane, she was a s_tar_. Catching herself as she swore, Lucy looked down at her feet guiltily.

"Oh, Aslan," she said aloud, starling several squawking birds. "Aslan, I'm so _sorry._" The birds flew away, and Lucy trooped toward a large boulder, her gown trailing in the sand. Slumping down, she wrapped her arms around her knees.

"What's happening to me?" She asked the empty beach. "Aslan, I don't understand. You've blessed me with faith and joy and innocence. It all comes easily." She rested her head on her knees. "But not now."

The beach was silent but for the sound of the surf and the rustling of the trees. "Please, Aslan," she pleaded. "Please, won't you help me?"

A sweet song that she had heard once before on this voyage erupted in the trees behind her, and an albatross flew above her, swooping down toward the ocean.

_Courage, dear heart_, said a warm and familiar voice. And for the second time, those words filled her with joy and relief.

"Oh, Aslan, I'm so confused. I don't _want _to go home, but I know it isn't about what I want, and I know you know what you're doing, but I just can't bear never to return. Oh Aslan, how will I ever see you if I can't come back?"

A comforting chuckle resonated in her mind. _Peace, my lioness. You will be ready when the time comes, and I am in all worlds._

Lucy gazed at the soaring albatross, sure that it was somehow Aslan.

_That is not all that ails you. _

Startled briefly, Lucy sighed, realizing that Aslan knew all. "Well, no." She was hesitant. "But you'll think less of me."

_Dear heart, I could never love you any less. _

Heartened somewhat, Lucy continued. "Aslan, I think… well, I thought that Caspian and I… well it seemed as if we…" She stopped, unsure about how to put it.

_You and Caspian are of different worlds. Do you not wish him happiness?_

Lucy sat up. "Oh no! It's not that at all! I just… well… I just…I'm just so confused. Everything's been so lovely, and I'd rather it go on forever and ever."

_Forever is a long time, child. Eternity has much more in store. _

She sighed. "I suppose you're right." Laughing slightly, she traced her fingers through the sand. "You always are." And then, softly. "Thank you so much, Aslan."

The albatross soared through the air.

_I am always here when you need me. You only need call. _

The albatross disappeared into the trees, and Lucy grasped her knees pensively, feeling much more like her usual self.

"You will be ready when the time comes." She whispered the words to herself, watching the waves crash gently against the shore. "When the time comes."

She sat like that for several moments, wiggling her toes in the sand as all of her hurt and doubt washed away with the retreating waves. When she finally rose, she again felt like Lucy Pevensie, Narnia's Valiant Queen.

Turning back toward the ruins, Lucy realized she had wandered a very long ways. The _Dawn Treader _was even smaller than it had been, and her shoes weren't even visible on the sand. Laughing, she skipped through the surf, foamy ocean water splashing at her ankles and soaking 

the hem of the dress. As the wind raced through her hair, tangling it even more than it already was, Lucy realized that everything _would _be all right. She tripped on a shell, giggling as she wrung out her practically ruined dress.

"Susan would be _livid_." She muttered to herself gaily as she picked up the shell and then tossed it back into the ocean. Nearing the ruins, she noticed a figure approaching her. Squinting, she determined that it was either Edmund or Caspian. As she drew closer to her discarded shoes, she concluded that it was Caspian making his way across the beach toward her. Lucy took a deep breath and reminded herself of Aslan's words.

"When the time comes." She repeated the phrase over and over, heart pounding as she offered Caspian a shy wave.

"Lucy! There you are!" He ran his hand through his hair, and Lucy smiled softly.

"Is everything all right?" Her question was nervous, but he seemed not to notice her anxiety.

He laughed, sinking into the sand beside her as she pulled her shoes onto her wet and sandy feet. "All is well. We're still waiting for the crew to decide if they will join us on the final stretch of this journey. I must admit, I was rather bored. Ramandu and his daughter disappeared, and everyone else is busy in some way or another." Caspian frowned.

Lucy looked at her friend worriedly. "Are you sure there's not a problem, Caspian?"

He shook his head. "No, no. I'm only worried about your brother, King Edmund. He's been brooding and doesn't seem quite himself."

Lucy thought for a moment, and then remembered something. "Oh," she said softly. "Oh. Yes, I suppose he would be."

Caspian shot her a confused look, and she clarified haltingly. "Well, that knife… the Witch's… it reminds us all—the two of us, I mean—of some rather unpleasant experiences to say the least. Doubtless, Edmund is probably most impacted… his encounter with the White Witch was the worst of all. And I don't suppose he'll ever truly forget what it cost."

Still puzzled, Caspian said nothing, glancing sideways at the young queen. He waited for her to continue.

Lucy looked at him, surprised. "You don't know the whole story?"

Caspian shook his head, "I know most of it, though there are some parts that have been lost over time."

Lucy frowned. "Well, I can't tell you all of it. Much of it is Edmund's to share, though I will tell you he was the second to find Narnia."

Hearing the emotion in Lucy's voice, Caspian chose not to push her. Instead, he stared in awe at the girl before him. Much of the time he managed to forget the absolute legend that surrounded Lucy and her three siblings, but there were moments like this where it swept him away.

Lucy, feeling uncomfortable under Caspian's gaze, chose to change the subject. "So what are Reepicheep and Eustace doing, then?"

The question shattered Lucy's aura of myth, and again she seemed his practical, faithful friend. "Well, Reepicheep is trying to teach your cousin something of fencing."

Lucy laughed. "How is that going?"

Caspian shrugged. "Not so well. Reepicheep doesn't seem to understand the size difference."

Casting a sideways glance at her companion, Lucy smiled fondly. "Well, he wouldn't. His heart makes up for his small size."

"As does yours," Caspian said softly.

Heat rising in her cheeks, Lucy faced Caspian straight on. "Please, Caspian. No. We can't."

He frowned, looking at Lucy's pained, but determined expression. "Why not?"

She laughed, touching his shoulder. "You know, ten minutes ago I would have been so happy to hear you say something like that."

"But now?"

She grabbed a handful of sand, letting it sift through her fingers. "Now's different. I've spoken with Aslan." His intake of breath and obvious joy encouraged her. "Yes, and he's told me something that makes a whole lot of sense. Caspian, you and I aren't of the same world. Yes, I've grown up here, but even _that _wasn't the same world. It was an entirely different Narnia. Edmund and I are from England, and your place is here."

Fingering the sand, he sighed heavily. "I had hoped that this might turn out like one of the stories you told me."

She laughed. "I had the same hope, but Caspian, this is _Narnia_, not some fairy tale story. Everything that happens here is real, which means there's not always a happily ever after." She sighed softly, "Even as much as I wish there were."

He took her hand and squeezed it. "You never know, Lucy."

She offered him a wry smile. "Actually I'm rather positive there won't be a happily ever after for us. At least not in the manner you're thinking of. My time here is almost up."

Caspian's eyes darted to his friend's face anxiously, and he felt his heart sink. Lucy, sensing his distress, bumped his shoulder in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Besides, Caspian, I've noticed that you seem to have taken an interest in Ramandu's daughter."

Caspian blushed fiercely. "She's very beautiful."

Lucy giggled girlishly. "Of course she is, silly! She's a star!"

He smiled broadly. "Did you notice my use of your fairy tale stories?"

She bit back a giggle a cocked an eyebrow. "Oh yes, entirely clever, and _oh_ so romantic."

He bumped her back. "Are you mocking me, Your Majesty?"

She stuck out her tongue. "I'm a queen of Narnia. I'll do what I please."

He tossed a handful of sand at her, causing her to shriek. "And _I'm _a king, so I suppose that means I can do whatever _I _please." He threw more sand at her.

"_I _thought kings were supposed to be chivalrous. Perhaps you should join Eustace for some lessons from Reepicheep."

He feigned indignation. "And I thought queens were supposed to be elegant and graceful." His retort caused her to wrinkle her nose, crossing her arms tightly.

"Then perhaps you should leave and seek out Ramandu's daughter. I'm sure she's got loads of grace. She is a _star_, after all."

He winked at her. "Aah, but tormenting you is much too fun."

She stuck her tongue out again, and then ignored him, busying herself with the pile of sand on her foot.

Eventually, he broke the silence. "You know, it's strange."

She granted him with a quick look before stubbornly turning away from him again. "What's strange?" she finally asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Stars." His answer was simple, and further piqued her curiosity.

"What about them?"

He shrugged. "Well, obviously in Narnia they're living beings, but your cousin Eustace says that in your world they're burning balls of gas. And then there's another theory I've heard."

"Hmm?" She refused to get too involved, maintaining nonchalance and a keen interest in her foot.

"Well, you and Edmund, you both left something behind on your last visit here."

He had won her over. "Oh yes!" She exclaimed excitedly. "Edmund left his new torch here. He was so disappointed. He had only just gotten it, and Mum was rather angry when she realized he lost it so quickly." She giggled, lost in the memory. "How in the world are you supposed to explain to your mum that you lost your new torch because you were more worried about saving a fantastical country?"

Caspian quirked an eyebrow at her, amused at how quickly her silence had dissolved. "Yes, and you left a book behind."

Lucy's mouth formed a silent 'o' and then her eyes lit up in recognition. "_Peter Pan!_ I had forgotten I left it here. I just got so swept up in school, and then I didn't feel as if I needed it because Aslan had practically promised me and Ed we could get back…"

Caspian laughed silently at the girl. "Yes, well, both the torch and book are with the other royal Gifts. The torch is an amazing contraption. Even Dr. Cornelius was unable to discover its inner workings."

Lucy's eyes twinkled merrily as they were so prone to do. "I suppose you could best compare it to magic. I guess it's England's form of magic."

"And I read the book, Lucy."

She flashed him a dazzling grin. "Lovely, isn't it? When I was younger I always wanted to get away to Neverland. That it is until we found Narnia. And then when we went home, I used it as sort of a lifeline. I know it's not even close to the same thing, but it's the closest you can get in England, besides, of course, going into a wood in a park or looking at the lions in the zoo, but even that completely _pales_ in comparison. Neverland and Peter and Wendy and all of them always seemed so real to me. I suppose they still do."

Caspian waited for a moment to assure that her chatter had stopped. "I always found the concept of a world within a star fascinating. I wonder if it's even possible."

Lucy shot him a wry look. "Of course it's possible, Caspian! I found a world in a wardrobe. I'd like to think that Narnia and Earth are just one of millions and millions of other worlds! And I'd bet there's any number of ways to get to them."

He stared at the vibrant blue sky thoughtfully. "I thought it was strange when the constellations began to change as we neared the island, but to think that the very _essence _of a star varies from world to world seems incredible."

Lucy stared out to sea, and then toward the rolling hills that hid the curving beach from her view. "Well… I think that everything would function differently in every world. Narnia's flat, but Edmund, Eustace and I live on a globe. Things like that. When… when I first found Narnia, the others didn't believe me. Edmund especially." She paused to gauge Caspian's expression, but his face remained impassive, not allowing her to see the surprise he felt. "Edmund teased me a lot back then, and he told me he'd found a football field in the kitchen cupboard. Of course it was only out of spite, but now I wonder how true all of that actually is. Neverland's a star, and Narnia is a wardrobe. Aslan knows what else is out there!"

Her eyes sparkled adventurously, and Caspian remembered the swashbuckling adventures of Peter Pan and his Lost Boys. His thoughts then turned to four printed names in the front cover of the book, Lucy's sprawling writing filling half of the page. "I think, Lucy, that if there are other worlds out there, you're sure to find at least one."

She wrapped her arms around her knees, tucking them underneath her chin. "I would hope so."

A bird sang in the distance, and a light entered Lucy's eyes. "You know, Caspian. I've only just realized that if I _don't _get into another world, and even if I can't come back here, I think I'll be all right."

_When the time comes._ The voice echoed through her mind, and Lucy sighed contentedly.

"Shall we return? I'm sure the others are missing us by now. Perhaps the crew has decided." She jumped to her feet, and offered him a hand, hauling him to his own feet.

Caspian bowed gallantly, and offered his arm. "And at the very best, we can save poor Eustace from what is bound to be a most difficult duel."

Lucy laughed gaily, hope and contentment filling her. "Yes, and I'm sure the Star's daughter is wondering where the dashing prince—er—king disappeared to."

Caspian swatted her head lightly, and she slipped away from him, racing toward the ruins and their friends.

"Most disgraceful, milady!" he called after her, rushing to catch her. "It's hardly fair! You've had a head start!"

She took the stairs to the table by twos, and stared down at him imperiously. "Oh bother head starts. Let's just face it; Queen Lucy is faster than King Caspian."

He bounded up the stairs after her. "Maybe in _this_ world, Your Majesty."

She whirled to face him, eyes glittering joyfully. "But you see, Caspian, it's this world that matters."

**So? I think the biggest thing for this chapter was showing that Lucy's got her imperfections too. She's so often conveyed as the one who never doubts, but the thing is, EVERYONE doubts at some point or another, and the Bible even says that that's okay. Also, it's kind of about coming to terms with the fact that just because she won't get back to Narnia doesn't mean it doesn't have to remain an important factor in her life—but at the same time she can happily survive in English. I know, a little confusing. This chapter set up the ending, so there's only one chapter left!**

**So please review! I love your comments. **

**I don't own Narnia or its character's though I will most definitely own the DVD of Prince Caspian the moment it hits the stores. **


	5. Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

_Eighteen pages. This chapter is EIGHTEEN pages! The longest chapter of my life. Anyhow, it makes up about half of the story, so sorry for the length. So much happens, though, and I just couldn't bear to cut anything. _

_Without spoiling the story, I'd like to apologize for some of the confusion at the end where we're talking about two Peter's. I tried my best to keep it clear which Peter we're talking about, so hopefully that's not too hard to follow. _

_I don't own Narnia or Neverland, though I'm still convinced at least ONE of them is real. _

**Chapter Five: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust**

The bitter December wind whipped at Lucy's cheeks as she slid out of the car, accepting Peter's offered hand. Shivering, she clutched her coat around her and bounced from foot to foot as she waited for the others to join them on the icy concrete.

"Do hurry!" She exclaimed, leaning into Peter as Edmund slid out of the car, followed by Susan and lastly, Susan's beau, Charles.

Susan smiled as she and Charles led the way to the door. "I've never seen you so excited to attend a party, Lu."

Lucy said nothing, exchanging a wry glance with Peter as Edmund spoke up. "I don't think it's the party she's anxious to get to, but rather the warm—."

Susan cut Edmund off, looking up at her brothers before shooting Lucy an expectant glance. "Now, as I've already told you, don't just talk amongst yourselves all night, hm? It's rather rude in a house full of people."

"This isn't my first party, Susan. I'm quite aware of the etiquette involved in a social gathering." Peter's voice was dry, and Susan's eyes flashed as long-ago memories surfaced. She brushed them away, briskly returning to business.

"Well of course there would be parties at the university. I always forget how grown up you are, Peter." Peter arched an eyebrow at his younger sister's condescending tone, but she continued, inclining her head toward Edmund and Lucy. "I was talking to the younger two."

Lucy's teeth chattered, each hand now tightly enclosed within Peter's. "Can we please go in, Susan? This is colder than the time you and I rode halfway to Beaversdam in the middle of the winter because—."

Susan's eyes darted nervously toward Charles, and she quickly rang the doorbell, stopping Lucy mid-sentence. "We'll have none of _that_," she hissed, plastering a smile on her made-up face as the door swung open, emitting a gust of warm air. Without waiting to be invited, Lucy wiggled through, breathing deeply as she handed off her coat to a surprised host.

"Ever so sorry, but it's positively _frigid _out there!" She rubbed her arms vehemently as she waited for her brothers to catch up.

As she surveyed the grand foyer, she could hear Susan apologizing for her sister's 'unorthodox' behavior. She grinned. Some things never changed.

There was a massive Christmas tree in the center of the room, glistening with ornate decorations. Lucy inhaled the familiar aroma of pine happily, observing the conversationalists, and through another doorway, the dancers.

Susan appeared at her side, followed by her escort and their brothers. Eyes sparkling, she turned to her family. "I'm so glad you all decided to come. Christmas _is _a family season, after all."

Despite her sister's painted face, Lucy couldn't help but grin at Susan. She sounded genuinely happy, and Lucy was reminded of Christmases past in another world. And then, before Susan could properly protest, Lucy sprang forward and hugged her sister tightly.

"Oh, Susan! We _missed _you!" Lucy's voice radiated joy, and Susan couldn't help but return the hug before prying the younger girl off of her and giving an embarrassed chuckle.

"Why, Lucy, I've been right here the whole time!"

Lucy said nothing, disappointed to see the queen disappear beneath red lipstick and curls.

Casting her siblings an apprehensive look, Susan caught up Charles' hand. "We're going to dance. Will you three be all right?"

Peter nodded, amused. "We've handled worse."

Rather than assure Susan, this comment flustered her, and she tugged Charles, pulling him away from her brothers and sister.

The moment Susan was out of earshot, Edmund stuffed his fists into his pockets. "I _hate _parties."

Peter chuckled. "What, Ed? You don't want to dance with that pretty girl by the Christmas tree? She seems to be rather interested in you."

Edmund shot a furtive glance behind his shoulder and cursed, earning him a reprimand from Peter and a giggle from Lucy.

"Oh, hush, Edmund," Lucy scolded lightly. "Do try and have some fun. You saw how happy Susan was."

Edmund frowned petulantly. "So happy that she left the moment she was sure we wouldn't try anything 'funny.'"

Lucy huffed. "Don't be like that, Edmund. Didn't you see it? For a moment, just that small moment, she was Queen Susan, our sister. I think it was worth coming, just for that."

"Besides," said Peter, "you can't _always _be studying for school. It's Christmas, Ed. Have some fun."

Edmund grimaced. "I just don't like parties. Never have." His mumbling evoked a small laugh from Lucy as she remembered all of the times in Narnia she had found him hiding in some shadowed corner.

Peter shot her a mischievous smile. "Would you care to dance, milady?"

Lucy curtseyed slightly, accepting her eldest brother's arm with the grace of the queen she was. "It would be an honor, my liege."

"What?!" squawked Edmund indignantly. "Sorry to cut in on your little moment of chivalry, but what am _I _supposed to do while you two go gallivanting across the dance floor? Susan certainly won't dance with me. Especially not after she realizes that you two are out there trying to re-create some sort of Narnian dance."

Peter winked at Edmund, jerking his head toward the Christmas tree. "I'm sure you shouldn't have _too _hard of a time finding a partner." And with that, he whisked Lucy away, leaving a darkly muttering Edmund behind.

"Git." The younger boy muttered as his siblings disappeared. He frowned, surveying the room in an attempt to find something to do. He spotted Susan and Charles a distance away, chatting with some friends, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed two golden heads sweeping across the dance floor. He smiled dryly.

A giggle from his left diverted his attention, and he cringed unhappily.

"May I help you?" The question was terse, but the brunette girl from the tree seemed to take no notice. It seemed as if she had been waiting for his siblings to abandon him—and abandon him they had.

She smiled at him shyly. "Would you like to dance?" Edmund blanched. How very _forward _of her. He heard Susan's social warning echo through his mind, quickly followed a series of taunts that were sure to follow once Lucy and Peter realized he _had _danced with the Christmas Tree Girl—or as she called herself, Angela.

He gulped and decided there was nothing for it. "The honor is mine." He offered a swift bow to the astonished girl, leading her toward the end of the dance floor his brother and sister _weren't _occupying.

"Oh, Peter, look!" Lucy whirled around in her brother's arms, her feet easily adapting to the newer, modern dance steps. It wasn't quite the same as dancing in Narnia, but with her eyes closed, the beat of the music coursing through her, and Peter's strong arms guiding her, she could at least pretend.

"Peter, do you see him? Edmund's dancing with that girl!" Peter's head whipped around to follow his sister's gaze, and he bit back a guffaw as he watched Edmund somberly twirl the pretty girl.

"Oh, he seems to be having a lovely time, doesn't he, Lucy?" He winked at Lucy, who giggled delightedly.

"He does seem rather uncomfortable, doesn't he?"

Peter shrugged nonchalantly. "He's dealt with it before. Another awkward dance with a fawning girl is nothing to get excited about. Aslan knows we four have had quite enough of that."

Glancing at Peter, Lucy cocked an eyebrow. "Well, I do believe that Susan and I had more fawning _boys _than girls."

Peter rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean, Lucy."

The song came to an end, and Lucy sighed, pulling herself out of Peter's grasp and preparing to lead her brother off of the dance floor. "Perhaps we should rescue Edmund."

She stopped short as the next song began, starting softly, with a slow, lilting melody that seemed to stretch to the very ceiling. Lucy's eyes lit up as she whirled to face her brother. "Peter!"

Peter grinned at her as she made eye contact with Edmund across the room. "It's practically Narnian, Lucy."

"Do you remember when the four of us would dance? This sounds just like the song the fauns used to play for the Midsummer Festival! And we would dance all night long until we could hardly breathe." Lucy was practically breathless herself now, the tempo of the song increasing slowly.

Edmund joined them, and Lucy's grin expanded. "We must dance it! Oh, Peter, please? Can we?"

Peter and Edmund exchanged skeptical glances, and Edmund laid a gentle hand on Lucy's shoulder. "But Lu, we need Susan." Lucy wilted under Edmund's practical statement, unhappily acknowledging that Susan would likely avoid dancing any sort of dance that was even remotely Narnian.

Peter's jaw set determinedly. "I'll get her." With that, he crossed the dance floor in several strides, pulling a protesting Susan along with him. "Just this one dance with me, Su? Please?" His brown eyes implored her, and Lucy touched her hand.

"Just this once, Susan?"

Finally, their sister caved, and she took her standard position beside Peter, glancing around the dance floor uncomfortably. Grinning happily, Lucy grabbed Edmund's hand, tugging him to their place beside their elder siblings.

The dance had not yet reached its full speed, and the Pevensies used this time to reacquaint their feet with old footwork from a bygone life. The English version of the song was moderately quicker, utilized different instruments, and had English lyrics, but to Lucy, it was a fresh taste of home.

While she had enjoyed her dance with Peter, to dance with Edmund truly flooded her mind with memories. As the youngest two, they had shared many dances, and in the beginning, many sore toes. As the dance began to speed up, the surrounding dancers began to take notice of the dynamic foursome, slowing their own dancing to watch the whirling pairs.

Lucy's skirt flapped at her knees, but she could practically feel Narnian silk rustling as she twirled by Susan, briefly dancing with Peter. The dance moved faster still, and Susan's black hair fell out of its carefully styled form, whipping around her face to frame sparkling eyes.

Rapidly twirling, skipping, shuffling, and laughing, the four siblings remained completely unaware of the audience that watched them.

Lucy's breathing intensified, and she smiled joyfully at Edmund. Her usually reserved brother grinned back, and Lucy winked at him. The music rising, King Edmund grasped her waist, whirling her quickly before she skipped toward her other brother, the High King. At that moment, Lucy was back in Narnia. With music echoing through the hall and the scent of pine wafting through the air, Lucy found herself in a rare moment where worlds collided, and she was once again Queen Lucy the Valiant, surrounded by her royal siblings. All three of them.

The music reached its crescendo before coming to a seemingly abrupt halt. The real world rushed back, leaving Narnian as an untouchable memory.

The four Pevensies gasped for breath, grinning at each other as another song began, and new dancers moved onto the dance floor. Susan tucked her hair behind her ears and squeezed Peter's hand before kissing a startled Edmund on the cheek and hugging Lucy.

Charles came up beside her. "Susan, what _was _that?"

She shot her beau a masked look before facing her siblings, hands on her hips. "_That _was exactly what I warned my brothers and sister _not _to do." Despite the reprimand, Susan's eyes twinkled, and a smile still lit up her face. "They can hardly listen to directions, much less rule a country." She said it softly, but both her siblings and Charles noticed. Now, confusion was positively etched across the poor man's face, but Lucy, Edmund, and Peter exchanged thrilled looks. This was the closest Susan had gotten to remembering Narnia in nearly a year. "Charles, I've got to freshen up. I'll see you shortly." She swept away from her siblings, and a very bewildered Charles followed her.

"_Now _was it worth it?" Lucy placed her hands on her hips, staring at Edmund skeptically.

Edmund opened his mouth to answer, but was elbowed by a zealous dancer. Realizing they were still in the middle of the room, Peter guided his younger siblings to an unoccupied corner.

"So, Edmund, do you still think this was a waste of time?"

Edmund smiled sheepishly and his youngest sister. "No. I don't. I haven't enjoyed _dancing _since… since… well, never. But that was nice."

Lucy clasped her hands together, twirling slightly. "It was almost like we were there again, wasn't it? Even Susan thought so!"

Peter laughed, happy that Susan was finally getting along with them again… or at least she was for the night. "It did almost seem as if she remembered, didn't it?"

Edmund snorted. "Of course she r_emembers_. She just likes to pretend she doesn't. It'd be easier if she really didn't remember, but this way is harder because we're not dealing with a faulty memory, but rather Susan, who's stubborn as a mule."

Lucy shot Edmund a dangerous look. "Oh, _shut it_, Ed. At least for tonight she was our Susan again."

The three trailed off into silence, each thinking of their sister and the world they had left behind. Finally, with his hands stuffed in his pockets, Peter spoke.

"I suppose we ought to _do _something. We jolly well can't stand in the corner all night. Especially not after sweeping Susan away in a Narnian dance. She made an effort for us, now we ought to do the same."

Edmund's face took on a sour expression, and Lucy pursed her lips, both of them surveying the company of the room. "Well, what do you suppose we do?"

Peter shrugged uncertainly. "Well… mingle, I suppose. Isn't that what one does at these sort of things?"

Scoffing, Edmund studied the strange faces in the room. "Well, yeah. If one actually _knows _the other people. What are we supposed to do? Just pull a conversation out of thin air? 'Oh, yes, I've heard the weather shan't be letting up for another couple of days. Positively dreadful, hm?'"

The sarcasm evoked laughter from both Lucy and Peter, and the three exchanged rueful looks. "I suppose…" Lucy began slowly, "Maybe we ought to stick together. That way if the conversation drags too terribly, the others can pick it back up." She shot Edmund a mischievous smile. "And that way poor Edmund's not alone all night. We already saw what happens when _that _scenario occurs."

Peter laughed. "A poor mix of chivalry and stony silence." Lucy giggled, and even Edmund cocked a sullen smile.

"So, shall we?" Edmund offered Lucy his arm, grinning at Peter. "I _refuse _to be abandoned a second time." Lucy pinched him and then grabbed his hand, tugging him out of the room, Peter following closely.

Lucy led them to a small table near the large Christmas tree. It smelled so lovely and so fresh she could practically _see_ the Western Woods frosted in a thin layer of powdery snow. She perched on a chair and jerked her head toward a third doorway.

"Edmund, I've seen several people coming out of there with food." Edmund raised an eyebrow, and Lucy shrugged. "I thought you and Peter might be interested." Neither of her brothers responded, and she couldn't help but smile at their discomfort. "It's something to do," she offered helpfully.

A burst of laughter came from the aforementioned room, and Peter grabbed Edmund's elbow, directing him toward Lucy. "Stay with, Lu. I'll go get us something to eat."

Edmund protested. "I'm capable of picking my own plate, Pete. I've been doing it for some thirty years now."

Peter rolled his eyes as if Edmund were still a small child. "Well, someone's got to stay with Lucy, and I can hardly expect you to pick food that will suit all three of us. Likely you'll just show up with a plate full of carrots, and perhaps if you're feeling adventurous, a Christmas cookie."

Lucy and Edmund exchanged knowing glances as they often did when Peter said something particularly dense. "Peter," Lucy said, exasperated. "I'll be perfectly fine here on my own. It's not as if we're in Narnia and someone could whip out a sword at any minute." She grinned, "Besides, it won't be nearly as bad as the time Edmund left me alone at Anvard, and I nearly—."

"Lucy!" Edmund's indignant cry cut her off, and she winked at him, her smile broadening as Peter whirled around to face their brother.

"_What_ did you do?!"

Lucy laughed silently as her brothers walked in the direction of the food, Peter's previous qualms forgotten. As they walked away, Edmund's head whipped around, and he glared at her as only he could do. Now she truly did laugh. They were just too _easy _to rile up.

A childish giggle diverted her attention, and she was startled to see a small head poke out from between the branches of the tree. For the briefest of moments, she thought it was a dryad, but quickly corrected herself, offering the small girl a friendly smile.

"Hello. What's your name?" The girl cocked her head to the side and then came out of the tree, stumbling on a low branch. Lucy sprang out of her seat and caught the girl easily, leading her to the chair. "That was a near thing, wasn't it?"

The little girl nodded and then said, "My name's Myra."

Lucy smiled charmingly. "Why, that's such a lovely name. I'm Lucy." She stuck her hand out, and the younger girl shook it shyly.

"Lucy's a pretty name too." Myra smiled, revealing two missing teeth. She stared intently at her green skirt and white tights, red head bowed timidly, hiding wide green eyes and a smattering of freckles.

Lucy squeezed the little girl's hand. "That's one of the nicest compliments I've ever gotten," she said truthfully, and even after years of ruling as Queen Lucy, the elder girl truly meant this.

Myra looked up, gaining a small amount of confidence. "I'm going to be eight in two months."

Lucy clapped her hands together delightedly. "Eight is such a lovely age, Myra. So many grand things can happen when you're eight." Myra nodded, though somewhat reluctantly.

"I don't want to be eight."

Myra sniffed sadly, and Lucy was reminded of herself, so many years ago. She had been convinced that age was what made Edmund so horrid to her, and she had wanted nothing to do with it. She lifted Myra's chin, and gazed at the little girl. "You know, Myra, I wanted nothing to do with growing up when I was your age."

Curiosity spread across Myra's face. "You didn't?"

Lucy shook her head firmly. "I thought that it changed people for the worse, but you see, my mind was soon changed."

Myra's green eyes widened. "What happened?"

A series of memories flashed through Lucy's mind. A Wardrobe; a faun; a chilling Witch; spring; a stone knife; a coronation; and best of all, Aslan. She smiled thoughtfully at Myra. "I went on an adventure," she said softly. Myra's mouth formed an 'o,' and Lucy could tell she was aching to know more. "I can't tell you much, Myra, but I can tell you one thing. Not very long ago, someone very wise—someone who loves me _and _you very much—said that you'll be ready when the time comes. I can guarantee you that He's telling the truth. You will be ready to grow up when it is your time." She beamed encouragingly at the girl. "Perhaps you'll have an adventure of your own!"

Myra hugged herself, rocking back and forth. "I sure hope so! My mum's been reading me _Peter Pan_—have you read it?—and I'd like to go to Neverland ever so much. That what I was doing in the tree! I'm Wendy, and I'm waiting for Peter Pan—that's my brother—to come home with the Lost Boys—that's my brother's friend and his sister." Her eyes sparkled excitedly as she remembered her game. Recalling her manners, she looked up at Lucy inquisitively. "Would you like to play?"

Momentarily stunned, Lucy shook her head politely. "It does sound like fun, though." She knew from experience.

Bouncing up and down, Myra nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, it is." She slowed, looking out a nearby window. "Lucy, do you think… I mean, I hope so… but do you think that I could go to Neverland someday?" Her words were beginning to come out in a rush. "I mean, my eldest brother—I think he's probably your age—says that Neverland's not a real place, but I really _really _hope that it is. Do you think that there are other worlds like that? All of the grown-ups say that there aren't, but _I _think that there are. That's why_ I_ don't want to be a grown-up."

Amazed by the conversation she was having with this eight-year-old child, Lucy picked her words carefully. "I think, Myra, that there are most definitely other worlds out there." She followed the girl's gaze out the window, and could make out a sliver of the moon. "I can't be sure about Neverland, but, you know, I think that it could be real. Who's to say that it's not?"

Myra seemed very relieved by this statement, thanking Lucy profusely. Lucy smiled, thinking that if all of Susan's parties were like this, then perhaps they weren't so bad.

A blood-curdling scream startled her, and she jumped out of her chair, unconsciously positioning herself before Myra. Rather than cry out, Myra laughed delightedly. "Oh, Lucy! They're back! Are you sure you don't want to play? You could be Tinker Bell! We're desperately in need of a Tinker Bell!"

Tickled that Myra had selected her old character (or at least one of them), Lucy stepped aside, allowing Myra to join her brother and friends. "I think that I've had quite enough adventures for now, Myra."

Myra shrugged, now absorbed in the fantasy world she had created, skipping off to 'reprimand' Peter Pan and the Lost Boys for their late arrival.

Lucy sank back into her chair to wait for her own brothers, utterly dazed. She remembered her conversation with Caspian several years ago and rubbed her head tiredly. It was turning out to be a night full of memories, faith, and—she grinned at the thought of it—well, _magic._ Deeply inhaling the pine, Lucy felt as if Aslan was in the very room.

Her brothers returned several moments later, carrying several plates of food and squabbling good-naturedly.

"…it's not as if I _intended _to get lost and leave you lot alone! Things happen, Ed!"

"Yes, well, then it appears as if you're in no position to reprimand on _responsibility _and the like. I handled the situation as best I could. We were in a rather tight spot, or did you forget?" Edmund swept in front of Lucy, offering her a flourished bow that was very unlike him. Lucy smiled; tonight _had _been good for him. "A plate of éclairs for the queen." He placed a small plate in front of Lucy and then sat down beside her, ignoring Peter's guffaws as he bit into a carrot stick. "Oh _shut _it, Peter. It's not as if it's a crime to eat healthy. Besides, _I _was the one who grabbed the plate of finger sandwiches, wasn't I?"

Peter snatched up a plate of his own, sitting down across from his brother and sister. "Lucy, aren't you hungry?"

Both of her brothers turned to her, concern etched across their features. She shrugged, picking up an éclair. "I suppose an éclair would be nice. Thanks, Ed."

Edmund shot a smirk at Peter, before turning back to Lucy. "Are you sure you're all right? You seem rather… bewildered."

She put down the éclair and sighed. "Dazzled might be a more appropriate term. You see, I had this conversation."

Peter and Edmund exchanged worried looks, before Peter reached forward and squeezed his sister's hand. "Go on, Lu."

"Yes, well, I met this charming girl named Myra… and she reminded me of myself. She was playing at _Peter Pan _and told me about how she hoped Neverland was real and that she could get there someday." Lucy paused, still surprised to hear her own childhood wishes voiced by another. She picked up the éclair again, fingering it thoughtfully, and then wiped her fingers on a napkin. "You boys can eat, you know. I don't need you complete and utter attention." She grinned as Edmund took a grateful bite out of a sandwich, and she took a small bite of her own food.

"Is that it, Lu?" Peter still had not touched his plate, and his eyes bore into her own worriedly.

She reached across the table to touch his hand, a gesture she had repeated so many times throughout her lifetime. "It just reminded me of my conversation with Aslan when Ed and I were last in Narnia, and I realized that—"

"Your conversation with _who?_" Susan stood over them, her eyes evaluating Lucy's face warningly.

Lucy exchanged a wary look with Peter, and Edmund spoke up. "You know perfectly well who Lucy's talking about, Su." She cast them a stony look, but did not deny it. Inwardly, Lucy thought that they had made leaps of progress with Susan tonight.

Susan was alone, her crimson dress creating a vibrant contrast against the rich green of the tree behind her. She glared at Edmund. "Yes, well, if we're playing guessing games, I have one for you, Edmund."

His eyes flashed dangerously, and Lucy felt her stomach plummet. Edmund was the only one who really fought Susan about Narnia. If they got into it tonight, everything that had happened over the course of the evening would be undone, and Susan would retreat back into the shell she was only just coming out of.

"Edmund, please." She tugged his hand imploringly, hoping to stay his anger.

"Let's play, shall we, Susan?" His voice was low, and the earlier merriment and nostalgia of the evening had vanished. He shrugged of Lucy's hand.

Susan placed her hands on her hips. "Actually, never mind. This isn't exactly a game, Edmund, though I know you all are _so _fond of them." Her eyes scanned her brothers and sister accusingly. "What I'm talking about is your perfectly horrid treatment of Angela Roberts. I must admit I'm rather surprised, you being so fond of chivalry and all."

Edmund jumped to his feet, his plate clattering to the side. "She practically forced herself on me, Susan! I was only trying to do as you asked and socialize with someone besides these two." He gestured wildly and Peter and Lucy, and Susan huffed indignantly. Peter quickly rose, grasping Susan's elbow, leading her away from the table and toward a small door. Lucy sighed heavily. Whenever the four of them finally _did _manage to get along, the newfound sense of camaraderie was always extinguished by yet another argument.

She shrugged sadly at Edmund, and followed Peter and Susan, hoping that they wouldn't actually _need _the privacy of a separate room, though one look at Edmund's face said otherwise.

The door shut behind them, and Lucy was met with a blast of freezing air. She immediately grasped her elbows, looking longingly at the rosy light shining through the windows.

"Could… could we perhaps pick another place to do this?" She shivered violently, ducking her head as a blast of wind ripped across the balcony.

Peter shook his head quickly, eyeing both Susan and Edmund. "This shouldn't take too long, Lucy."

Susan whirled on him, eyes flashing, "How would _you _know?! You've no idea, Peter! You're not High King here! You don't dictate how long conversations are!"

Lucy could see the words cut her brother deeply, but Edmund, already riled up, jumped to his brother's defense. "As if he did that in Narnia!"

Susan threw her hands in the air. "Narnia! Narnia! It always comes back to Narnia doesn't it?"

Lucy looked at her seething siblings sadly. "You brought it up, Susan." Her voice was soft, and nearly inaudible in the wind, but the three elder ones turned to look at her, a myriad of expressions racing across their faces.

Suddenly, Susan seemed lost. "Yes… yes I did."

Peter's voice was choked as he spoke. "Why do you try so hard to forget, Susan? What good does it do?"

She gulped, and a tear slid down her cheek, leaving a dark track. "I…it's just so hard, Peter."

Edmund shrugged gently, taking a tentative step toward Susan. "Do you think it's easy for us, Susan?"

She sniffed, and looked at Lucy with overly bright eyes. "You all make it seem so easy. This is the only way I know how."

Lucy hugged her sister, still shivering. "There's nothing wrong with moving on, Susan. You were right about this being our world. Aslan told me himself. But, Susan, just because you live a life here doesn't mean you need to forget Narnia."

"I haven't forgotten." She said it softly, and hope bloomed in Lucy's chest. "I can't… I can't just pretend everything's all right and that I'm not mad at Aslan for exiling us. This sort of thing takes time."

Peter breathed in sharply, and Lucy noted that he was just as surprised about Susan's admittance of anger as she was.

Edmund patted his elder sister on the arm awkwardly, understanding glowing in his eyes. "Of course it does, Su, but you've got us, remember? You always have."

The four were silent, and Lucy maintained her comforting hold on Susan as her elder sister tried to make sense of everything. Finally, the older girl broke away, staring at her siblings with heartbroken eyes.

"I… I just can't. Oh, Aslan, it hurts too much." Before another word could be spoken, Susan rushed away, tears streaming down her cheeks. An inviting gust of warm air swirled around the balcony, but none of the remaining Pevensies moved.

After a moment, Lucy realized her own cheeks were wet, and she moved to the balcony railing, staring out at the hundreds of lights that made up London. She cried silently, ignoring the cold as two sets of arms wrapped around her. Lucy leaned into her brothers, her eyes finally turning to the sky.

"Is that it, then?" The hoarseness in Edmund's voice told her that he too was crying for the loss of their sister. "Is it over?"

Peter took a heavy breath and tightened his arm around Lucy's shoulders—and from the wiggling she felt beside her, she knew he had his arm around Edmund as well. "I think," he began slowly, "that there's more hope now than ever. I know it may not seem like it now, but I think that Susan's going to come home soon. She danced with us, didn't she? And for the first time in ages, she talked to us. Ed, Lu, she _trusted _us with what's been eating at her. Yes, it was brief, but she still did it. And did you notice what she said at the end? She said 'Oh, Aslan.' 'Oh, _Aslan.'_ She sounded so honest, so vulnerable. That's got to count for something."

Feeling a dim spark of hope, Lucy swiped at her tears with an icy hand. "She did sound like she meant it, didn't she?"

Peter nodded enthusiastically. "She did. She even admitted she hadn't forgotten Narnia. Just you wait. Queen Susan the Gentle will come back to us soon. It will only take some time… and compassion."

Lucy giggled wetly as Peter added a stern "Edmund" to that last statement.

A crash in the corner startled all three, and they sprung apart, Peter and Edmund reaching for swords they no longer carried. Lucy peered out from behind them, rolling her eyes at the human wall they had created in front her. A very pale and very cold Myra stared at them in awe, and her face broke into a smile when she noticed Lucy.

"Lucy!"

Peter and Edmund looked at each other amusedly. Leave it to Lucy to make friends _anywhere._

Lucy stepped forward, her lips stretching into a small smile as she greeted the girl. "Myra, what in Nar—what on Earth are you doing out here?"

Myra shivered, and Lucy realized that the younger girl was probably much colder than she. After all, Lucy had been huddled with her brothers for the past couple of minutes. "I'm… I'm…waiting f-f-for Peter."

Lucy cocked a wry smile at her oldest brother. "Your brother?" She asked, thinking that Myra was still playing the game.

Myra shook her head. "N-n-no. The real one. My mum said that this h-house is where all of Wendy's adventures b-b-began."

"Can't you wait inside for Peter Pan, Myra? Or at very least get a coat?"

Myra adamantly denied this, claiming that if she stepped inside for even a moment, she might miss Peter Pan. Lucy sighed in frustration, and ignored Peter's quiet comment that "it's rather frustrating to deal with someone so stubborn, isn't it?" She refrained from hitting him on the shoulder.

"I'll tell you if he comes, Myra. Why don't you run inside and get a coat?" Lucy rubbed her forehead, and a large yawn split across her face. The very eventful night was finally starting to catch up with her.

Again Myra refused, this time pointing up into the sky. "Do you see that star, Lucy?"

Lucy nodded, thinking of all of the times she had looked at a similar pair of stars, both here and in Narnia. Of course now she knew what stars r_eally _were in Narnia…

Myra tugged on her arm. "Well, that's Neverland, right there! That's where Peter Pan lives with the Lost Boys and Tinker Bell!" Myra's cheeks were rosy with excitement and cold.

Ignoring her amused brothers, Lucy placed her hands on her hips. "Myra, I _promise_ that I'll fetch you right away if Peter Pan comes. Trust me?"

Finally, Myra conceded, racing into the house in search of her coat.

Once the little girl had gone inside, Lucy whirled around to face her brothers. "Not a word. Do you hear me? Not a word." Rather than seeing hardly contained laughter, though, respect and admiration shone on her brothers' faces.

"Do you really think Neverland is a real place, Lucy?" Peter asked skeptically, and she sighed, thinking of how many times she had answered that question in her lifetime.

"Of course I do. You've heard Professor Kirke talk about the Wood Between Worlds. Why should Neverland be a mythical place?"

Gazing at the two stars Myra had pointed out, Edmund said nothing. He had already had this conversation with Lucy years and years ago.

Lucy returned to Peter's arms, drawing what warmth she could from them. "Why don't _you _go get a coat, Lucy?"

She frowned. "I promised Myra I'd keep watch for Peter Pan. I'm fine, Peter, it's only for a couple minutes more, really. Besides, the house is blocking the worst of the wind."

Peter didn't press her, knowing that she was just as stubborn, if not more so, than Myra. She buried her head in his chest, thoroughly exhausted.

The silence was broken by Edmund's voice. "Lucy?" His voice was questioning and somewhat amazed.

Lucy pulled her head away from Peter's chest and gasped as a twinkling light raced toward them, followed by what appeared to be a boy several years younger than Lucy.

The three Pevensies stared in awe as the boy lighted on the balcony, the small light hovering at his shoulder.

"Who're you?" The question was brusque and childish, yet it was a moment before any of Narnia's Golden Monarchs could speak.

Lucy swept a quick curtsey, quickly deciding that if she was speaking to who she thought she was there was no reason to keep their true identities secret. "I'm Queen Lucy, and these are my royal brothers, High King Peter and King Edmund."

The boy seemed unimpressed. "Kings and Queens, huh? You look a little young."

The three exchanged amused looks at the standard statement, and Lucy spoke again. "Are you… you're Peter Pan, aren't you?"

The boy laughed, teeth gleaming in the darkness. "Of course I am! Who'd you think I was?"

"Actually, that's why we asked," Edmund quipped. "We weren't certain."

The door slammed shut, and a startled gasp diverted everyone's attention toward the doorway. Myra stood there, properly bundled up, mouth hanging open.

"Jane?" Peter Pan asked carefully. "You sure don't look like Jane."

Myra walked toward Peter Pan tentatively. "I'm _not _Jane. My name's Myra."

"Jane?" The name sounded familiar to Peter, and he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Jane Manson?"

Peter Pan cocked his head, nodding slightly. "Yeah, you heard of her?"

Edmund's eyes lit in recognition, and he turned toward Peter sharply. "Isn't this Jane Manson's _house_? She's the one throwing the party, isn't she? I thought she was one of Susan's friends."

A pained expression crossed Edmund's face, and the three were instantly reminded of their sister and her pain. Finally, Lucy smiled sadly. "It's rather ironic, isn't it? Susan's got a friend who's been to Neverland."

Peter Pan frowned. "So… so is Jane a _grown-up?_"

Thinking of her sister and her friends, Lucy nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so."

Sighing with disappointment, Peter Pan perched in the air comfortably. "I wanted her help decorating for Christmas. The Lost Boys are no good with tinsel and ornaments and stuff like that." His eyes surveyed the three Pevensies and lighted on Myra. "Say! You could come with me!"

Myra's green eyes widened in astonishment. "Me?"

He shrugged. "Sure!" Mumbling, Lucy was surprised to see a sad frown on his lips. "I sure will miss Jane, though. First Wendy and now Jane!" He sighed unhappily, but a quick glance at Myra showed that the girl wasn't paying any attention at all to Peter Pan's quiet statement. Instead, she was leaning toward the small light flitting around the boy's head.

"So is that Tinker Bell?"

Peter Pan nodded proudly. "Yep, that's Tink." Then, he rose in the air. "We ought to be going. Your Majesties." He said it politely, though Lucy didn't miss the slight sarcasm issued with that last address.

He snapped his fingers at Tinker Bell, and she fluttered over Myra's head, coating the girl in a layer of golden dust. "Are you ready, Myra?" She nodded enthusiastically, gripping Peter Pan's hand as she rose off of the ground unsteadily. He beamed at her. "I didn't even have to tell you to think happy thoughts."

She blushed happily. "Well, I do know the stories."

Lucy watched as the little girl tested out her ability to fly and felt a pang in her chest. It seemed so long ago that she had only just embarked on her own set of adventures. As if sensing her thoughts, Edmund squeezed her hand encouragingly. Higher and higher they rose, until Peter Pan stopped abruptly. Leaving Myra with Tinker Bell, he swooped down, hovering so that he was eye level with Lucy.

"You know, you're not so grown-up. You could come with us if you'd like."

Heart pounding, Lucy looked up at her brothers, both of whom seemed utterly amazed. She remembered Caspian's words. _I think, Lucy, that if there are other worlds out there, you're sure to find at least one. _The words echoed in her head, and she stared back at Peter Pan thoughtfully.

This boy, his world, and his adventures had been a part of her life since before Narnia. For years she had longed to go to Neverland, to again leave behind England and its mundane life. So many times she had gazed up at the stars, wondering if the stories were true, if a star could _really _host a world. Now, staring at this youthful boy, Lucy had the opportunity to begin a new set of adventures, to make another world her own.

His voice startled her, and she found him to be looking at Edmund and Peter. "I don't think you can come. You're rather old to be Lost Boys."

She realized then, at that moment, that she had had her share of adventures. Aslan had never said anything about going to other worlds, but she knew, she just _knew, _that it would disappoint him. He had instructed her to live in her own world and to focus on finding Him in England. How many times had she told Susan this? Besides, how could she possibly enjoy a world where she could not be with her brothers and sister?

She lifted her chin and looked Peter Pan straight in the eye. "I'm sorry, but I can't go with you. I am a Queen of Narnia and an English schoolgirl." She laughed slightly at the contrast. "My place is here."

By the way Edmund's grip on her hand tightened and Peter's breathing slowed, she knew her brothers were relieved.

Peter Pan shrugged, rising in the air once again. "Well, it would have been loads of fun."

She smiled. "Of that I'm sure."

He returned to his place beside Myra, gripping the excited girl's hand loosely. "If you ever need to find me before you get to be a grown-up, Neverland's right there." He pointed to the glittering stars. "Second star to the right and straight on until morning."

Lucy nodded, smiling at Edmund. "Oh, yes, I know. Thank-you very much for the offer." He flashed them a final smile, and Lucy waved. "Good-bye, Myra! Best of luck!"

Myra beamed. "Bye, Lucy! Tell my mum not to worry." And then they were speeding off into the night, until Tinker Bell was just another light in the night sky.

Lucy sighed, leaning silently on the balcony railing.

Edmund place a tentative hand on her shoulder. "Lu?"

She smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine, really."

Moving to stand on her other side, Peter cast her a sidelong look. "Did you make the right decision?"

Lucy did not hesitate for a moment. "Oh yes. Yes I did. I've gotten used to England, and I really don't think there's room in my heart for another world. Two are quite enough for me." Patting Peter's hand gently, she went on. "Besides, I don't think I could handle being so young for so _long_. _I'm _used to being an adult."

Edmund laughed quietly. "It's been quite a night, hasn't it? First that Narnian dance, and then Susan actually _talks_ to us, and now this! A character right out of literature come to life!"

Lucy chewed on her hair thoughtfully, allowing Peter to guide her toward the door. "Let's get out of this biting wind, shall we?"

As they entered the house, Lucy cast one last glance at the star she presumed to be Neverland, marveling at the evening they had had. Narnia _and _Neverland in one night! Whirling around to face her brothers, she put her hands on her hips, remembering words she had said once, long ago. Glancing at the tree and the packages beneath it, another Christmas sprang into Lucy's memory.

She grinned impishly at her brothers. "When will you ever learn that I'm usually _right_ about these sorts of things?" Edmund and Peter exchanged sheepish smiles, each remembering all of the times they had ignored Lucy's faith. She rolled her eyes. "I _told _you he was real!"

Peter ruffled Lucy's hair fondly, and she grasped his hand lightly as the wind whistled through an open window, carrying with it the laughter of children. She stood on her tip-toes to give Edmund a kiss on the cheek, ignoring his indignant protest at her display of affection.

As the party bustled around them, Lucy could have s_worn_ that somewhere, far, far away she heard the roar of a Lion. And it was at that moment that she knew without a doubt that someday she would be returning home.

Home. To Narnia.

_Yay! We're done! Thank you so much to all of my readers who have read this story. _

_Again, sorry about the Peter Peter thing. I tried to keep it clear by always stating Peter Pan versus just Peter. _

_I'd like to note that, yes, I know that the events of _Peter Pan _happened during the first decade of the 1900s and the Pevensies 'lived' during the forties, but for the sake of the story, please ignore the discrepancy and just pretend that they WERE at the Darling house, and that "Roberts" is the name of Wendy Darling's husband, meaning that her daughter would be Jane Roberts. I just couldn't NOT do it. _

_Actually, not to shamefully advertise myself here, but what the heck. I've got three other stories that could coincide with this 'universe.' Finding Narnia, takes place before the events of LWW and then my other Narnia story, When My Sister Became a Girl, is from Edmund's POV and evaluates why Susan turned away from Narnia. Finally, I've got a Peter Pan story called All Children Grow Up about the Darling kids and how they cope with moving on from Neverland and embracing adulthood. _

_So thanks again, and without any further ado. _

_El Fin! _


End file.
